Residents part of wildfire solution
Fire season year round
in Tri-Lakes area
By Norma Engelberg

nengelberg@ourcoloradonews.com
Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Protection
District Fire Marshal John Vincent said
wildfire season is a year-round problem for
Tri-Lakes residents.
To help local property owners become
part of the wildfire solution instead of part
of the problem, Vincent has created “Ready,
Set, Go: Your Personal Wildfire Action Plan,”
a pamphlet that will be available at the
district office and on the website, www.trilakesfire.com.
The new pamphlet starts out with the
reason for its existence. It states: “During
a major wildfire, there simply will not be
enough fire engines or firefighters to defend
every home, so residents must become part

of the solution.”
It explains that people whose homes are
within a mile of a natural area live in what
firefighters call the Wildland Urban Interface and “The Ember Zone” where winddriven embers from a wildfire can ignite
their homes.
“The recent Waldo Canyon Fire resulted
in entire neighborhoods destroyed by fires
started by embers, not by the wildfire itself,”
the pamphlet states.
It also says that people often build
homes without understanding how their
vulnerability to wildfires is affected by their
choices of construction and landscaping
materials.
“It’s not a question of if, but when the
next wildfire will occur in the Tri-Lakes
area,” the pamphlet states. “That’s why the
most important person protecting your life
and property is you. With advance planning
and preparation, you can dramatically increase your safety and the survivability of
your property.”
After the introduction, the pamphlet ex-

plains concepts such as creating “defensible space” and a “hardened home,” a home
that could survive a wildfire.
The most vulnerable part of the construction is the roof, especially roof valleys,
rain gutters and the open ends of barrel
tiles. Open eaves and vents, windows and
doors and balconies and decks are also
places where embers can start fires. Suggestions for mitigating these dangers are
included
El Paso County building codes do not require residential fire sprinkler systems but
installing such systems during construction
is something Vincent has been advocating
for more than a year.
Such a system could extinguish or contain an ember-caused fire and keep residents safer from fires that ignite inside the
home from other causes, he states in the
pamphlet.
Another thing he is seriously advocating
is making sure house numbers are clearly
visible from the street.
As he has said previously, finding a

house on fire is relatively easy; just follow
the smoke, but finding a home where the
homeowner is having a heart attack isn’t so
easy.
About 80 percent of calls to fire departments are medical rather than fire related.
The final part of the pamphlet covers
evacuations, complete with checklists, on
when to go, where to go and what to take
along. It’s always best to be ready to go before it becomes necessary.
“By leaving early, you give your family
the best chance of surviving a wildfire,” the
pamphlet states. “You also help firefighters by keeping roads clear of congestion,
enabling them to move freely and do their
job.”
The pamphlet also points out that wildfire mitigation work can sometimes result
in tax credits. For information on all kinds
of tax credits, visit www.taxcolorado.com.
For more information on wildfire mitigation, call the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire
Protection District headquarters at 719484-0911.

Sales up
for local
merchants
Retailers nationwide didn’t
get the increase in sales they
were expecting
By Lisa Collacott

lcollacott@ourcoloradonews.com

Frost and some snow collected in the Tri-Lakes area over the Holiday, though much of it was melted by Thursday, Dec. 27. Photo by Rob Carrigan

Tri-Lakes region saw snow on Christmas day
Some dreamt of a
white Christmas and
woke up to one
By Lisa Collacott

lcollacott@ourcoloradonews.
com
Weather predictions were
right and some parts of the
Pikes Peak region saw a white
Christmas.
A winter storm carrying pacific moisture hit the mountains and the Front Range and
brought anywhere from two
to four inches to the Tri-Lakes
area.
Monument received about
2.8 inches of snow while east
of Monument saw 3.4 inches.
The Colorado Department
of Transportation and El Paso
County were ready for the
storm with CDOT having 3035 snow plows working roads
beginning at 6 p.m. Christmas
Eve in El Paso and Teller counties and in some sections of
Douglas County.

Frost and snow combined for fuzzy trees on Chistmas day, and the following morning,
in most of Northern El Paso County.
El Paso County had 35
trucks out. Snow began falling
Christmas Eve and a majority
of the snow fell overnight.
According to Rachel Plath,
meteorologist with KRDO
News 13, a lot of people have
different definitions of a
white Christmas but the National Weather Service defines
a white Christmas as having

at least one inch of the snow
on the ground by midnight
Christmas Eve and there has
to be another half-inch falling
from midnight to midnight on
Dec. 25.
“That would constitute it as
a white Christmas. And even
though some places woke up
to a dusting of snow that’s not
technically a white Christmas.

But Monument is one of those
areas that did qualify for the
scientific definition of having a white Christmas,” Plath
said.
Colorado
Springs
and
much of the Pikes Peak region
have not seen a white Christmas since 1987.
There are no records for
the Tri-Lakes area.
Plath said the same storm
that hit Colorado was responsible for the severe weather
that occurred from Louisiana
to Georgia. According to the
Weather Channel at least 34
tornadoes hit the Southern
states and at least nine inches
of snow fell in Little Rock.
The Midwest saw blizzard
conditions and up to a foot
was expected in parts of New
York, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
The storm is known as
Winter Storm Euclid as winter
storms are now being named
as hurricanes are.
The Tri-Lakes region woke
up to fog and frozen trees the
day after Christmas.

While retail sales weren’t as high as expected nationwide merchants in downtown
Monument saw an increase in sales during
the holidays.
“Sales we’re great for us. We were over
than last year,” Donna Townsend, employee
at The Village Merchants, said.
Kathi Schuler, owner of The Love Shop,
said she saw an increase in sales over last
year as well.
“Ours was really good. It was better than
last year. We were super busy every day,”
Schuler said.
While holiday sales may have seen a
boost locally analysts reported that nationwide retail sales didn’t increase as much
as expected and sales were their weakest since 2008 when the nation was in
a deep recession.
According to the MasterCard Advisors
Spending Report which was released Dec.
25, the sales of electronics, clothing, jewelry
and home goods increased by only 0.7 percent from Oct. 28 to Dec. 24, compared to a
two percent increase last year. Sales were expected to increase by three or four percent.
The report looked at all payment methods.
Analysts blamed bad weather, such as Super
Storm Sandy, and the threat of an impending
tax hike for the weak sales. Even the presidential election was blamed for weak sales
in early November.
However Schuler, who has been in business for 25 years, said despite the presidential election many people locally decided to
forge ahead and spend money.
Covered Treasures Bookstore also saw an
increase in sales this holiday season.
“We had a really good season,” Paula
Primavera, employee at Covered Treasures,
said.
Online sales grew 8.4 percent and saw a
slight increase after the Midwest was hit by
a recent snowstorm but online sales only
make-up 10 percent of all holiday sales.

Printed on recycled
newsprint. Please recycle
this copy.

2-COLOR

2 The Tribune

TLWC grant applications
available in January
Special to The Tribune
Continuing its 36 year
tradition the Tri-Lakes
Women’s Club will once
again be considering grant
requests for special programs and projects from
501(c) (3) non-profit organizations, public service
organizations and public
schools which significantly
serve the Tri-Lakes area
defined by Lewis-Palmer
School District 38.
Applications and instructions for the 2013
grant awards will be available on the TLWC at website
www.TLWC.net from Jan.
15-March 15.

Completed applications,
which must include certain
required documentation,
must be postmarked no
later than March 15. Late
and/or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Awards will be announced
to grant recipients in late
May. Please mail completed
applications to:
Tri-Lakes Women’s Club
Grant Committee
P.O. Box 669
Monument, CO 80132
For questions email Sandi Liston, grant committee
chair, at santoliston@comcast.net.
TLWC is proud and excited to continue its support of
this great community.

INSIDE THE TRIBUNE THIS WEEK

County treecycle program available
Special to The Tribune
El Paso County will be
offering seasonal recycling services to all county
citizens for disposal of
natural/grown Christmas
trees at seven convenient
`Treecycle’ drop-off locations countywide on two
consecutive
weekends
with an extended location
continuing to accept trees
through January.
Designated
Treecycle
sites, listed below will operate on two consecutive
weekends from 9 a.m.-5

•Memorial Park- Pikes
Peak Avenue and Union
Boulevard
•Rocky Top Resources*1755 East Las Vegas Street
*Rocky Top Resources
will operate as an extended
Treecycle site from 8 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Monday -Saturday Dec. 26-31 and Jan.
2-31. They are closed Sundays.
A tax-deductible, minimum donation of $5 per
tree will be used to support
Colorado Springs Youth
Sports, Inc. and the El Pomar Youth Sports Park for
sports programs through-

Three armed suspects
entered a home through a
window on Gillia Street.
A male resident woke up
to find the suspects armed
with handguns.
The resident confronted
the suspects and was injured during a struggle.

ONGOING

The resident was held
against his will in a bedroom and a female resident
and teenager were locked in
a bathroom. A call to 9-1-1
was placed at about 3:15
a.m.
The suspects were gone
before police arrived but
managed to get away with

electronics and live marijuana plants.
They are described as
three males wearing black
or gray hooded or nonhooded sweatshirts and
dark bandanas.
Anyone with information about this robbery is
asked to call the Palmer
Lake Police Department at
719-481-2934.

THINGS TO DO

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. The Alzheimer’s Association seeks two volunteers to
facilitate the monthly Saturday morning
caregiver support group in Monument.
Knowledge of dementia is needed, but facilitator training and support is provided
on an ongoing basis. Please email Barbara
Caudle at bcaudle@alz.org.
JAN. 10
TAPPING INTO Theology. Do you have
questions about faith? Do you think faith
is wishful thinking? Join Father Larry
Brennan for his inaugural presentation,
“The Act of Faith,” from 7-9 p.m. Jan. 10 in
the newly remodeled Barrel Room of the
Pikes Peak Brewing Co., 1756 Woodmoor
Drive. This monthly series of challenging
talks is open to the public. (Snow date
is Jan. 17.) Contact Stephanie Kemp at
719-481-4355.
JAN. 30
FREE TAX advice. The Pikes Peak Library
District, in partnership with H&R Block tax

experts, presents a free tax talk on family
issues affecting taxpayers, including
education, childcare credit and tax planning, at 7 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Monument
Library, 1706 Lake Woodmoor Drive,
Monument. For information on this, or
the other 10 sessions offered through the
district, call Linda Famula, 719-369-8326.

JAN. 8
SURVIVAL SPEAKER. Peter Kummerfeldt will speak on wilderness and
outdoor safety, including both the psychological and the physiological aspects
of surviving a wilderness emergency, at
6:30 p.m. Jan. 8 at the Colorado Division
of Wildlife training classroom, 4255 Sinton Road, Colorado Springs (in the back
of the building). This training includes
fire building, emergency shelters, food
and water procurement and preparation, emergency signaling techniques
and rescue and recovery procedures.
Survival stresses that often lead to panic,
and sometimes to death are identified.
Sponsored by Pikes Peak Chapter 247 of
Pheasants Forever, the training is open to

the public. Visit www.pikespeakpheasantsforever.org.

JAN. 12
ROCK’N GOOD Stories. Rocks tell
wonderful stories of earthquakes and
volcanoes; forests and beaches; crystals
and jewels; and amazing creatures
that roamed a former world. Come to
the Western Museum of Mining and
Industry from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 12
and start to learn how to read the stories
found in rocks. Distinguished regional
geologist and educator Steven Veatch will
present. All of this is included with paid
admission. Visit www.wmmi.org or call
719-488-0880.
The museum is just east of I-25 at the
North Gate Exit 156A.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Calendar submissions
must be received by noon Wednesday
for publication the following week. Send
information to calendar@ourcoloradonews.com, attn: Tribune. No attachments,
please. Listings are free and run on a
space-available basis.

THE TRIBUNE
(USPS 418-960)

Art classes for all
ages and skill levels

BEMIS SCHOOL OF ART
Register now for Winter/Spring classes
and workshops | csfineartscenter.org

Can’t get any more stranded than that
“I don’t know what they have to say. It
makes no difference anyway. Whatever it
is, I’m against it.” __ Groucho Marx, from
Horse Feathers.
Groucho actually began his career as
a female impersonator, according to the
March, 1974 issue of Playboy, playing a
singer in a smalltime vaudeville troupe,
The LeRoy Trio, in 1905.
“With the onset of puberty, and subsequent change of his voice, he was left
stranded by the troupe in Cripple Creek,
Colorado, and you can’t get any more
stranded that,” said the magazine article.
Groucho told the tale in his book,
“Groucho and Me,” which was first released in 1959.
He went looking for the leader of the
act, Gene LeRoy, only to find out he had
been abandoned.
“I returned to our boardinghouse to
question Larong (LeRoy) about our future

plans, only to discover that the master
showman had had hastily packed his blue
kimono, his evening gown and his mascara
and had taken it on the lam, never to be
seen or heard from again,” according to
Groucho.
After the LeRoy Trio fell apart, he tried
work driving a grocery wagon between
Cripple Creek and Victor.
“Though he had never seen a horse,
he wrangled a job as a wagon driver until
Miene or `Minnie’ (his mother) could send

What are you going to do this year?
Obviously the Mayans got it wrong
because we’re all still here.
So if you overindulged a little too much
this year thinking the world was going to
end than it’s time to re-think.
Once again the holidays are behind us
and many of us had a little too much eggnog, cookies and fudge.
What typically happens from about
Thanksgiving until Christmas is that we
sample everything in sight.
It’s not enough that we cook and bake at
home but coworkers bring in what they’ve
made and because it’s so busy this time of
year we tend to eat out more often.
So now that is all behind us it’s time to
get back to our normal eating habits and
lose those few extra pounds and just overall better ourselves.
According to www.usa.gov doing things
to better ourselves made the list of top New
Year’s resolutions.
Losing weight, getting fit, eating healthier, drinking less alcohol and quitting smoking were on the list.
They always are. But also on the list was
getting a better job, getting an education,
managing stress, managing debt and reduce, reuse and recycle also made the list.
The first five have been resolutions as
long as people have been making them
and they tend to start the year off good but
eventually go back to their old habits. The
others are more realistic I believe.
There’s many people out there that want
to finish that bachelor’s degree, get that
long awaited master’s or doctorate and
some just want to go to college for the first
time after years of putting it off.
It’s easy to say one is going to lose a few
pounds but more thought goes into going
back to school.

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If someone is serious about it they will
take the steps to register for classes, apply
for financial aid and rearrange their work
schedules or hire a babysitter in order to
attend classes.
And if they are aiming for a better job or
have lost one because of the bad economy,
than going to school is a definite priority.
With the push to recycle and save the
earth for generations to come, more and
more people are recycling.
Many have added recycle containers to
their trash pick-up and people are eliminating those plastic water bottles and replacing them with one they can reuse. Still
others reuse plastic bags, detergent bottles,
Ziploc bags and more.
People are also teaching their children
about recycling and being mindful of
waste. With the nation getting hit hard as
far as the economy goes people have become more mindful of their spending and
doing what they can to get out of debt.
After losing homes and jobs and seeing
how much our nation is in debt people are
taking a good look at their financial situations and trying to better it.
Some New Year’s resolutions can have a
greater impact than others that may only
last for a short time.

Colorado Community Media
Phone 719-687-3006 • Fax 303-719-687-3009

Columnists and guest commentaries
The Tribune features a limited number
of regular columnists, found on these pages
and elsewhere in the paper, depending on
the typical subject the columnist covers.
Their opinions are not necessarily those of
The Tribune.
Want your own chance to bring an issue to
our readers’ attention, to highlight something
great in our community, or just to make people laugh? Why not write a letter of 300 words
or fewer.
After all, The Tribune is your paper.

WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER
Our team of professional reporters,
photographers and editors are out in
the community to bring you the news
each week, but we can’t do it alone.
Send your news tips, your own photographs,
event information,
letters, commentaries...
If it happens, it’s news to us. Please
share by contacting us at
news@ourcoloradonews.com.,
and we will take it from there.

him his train fare home,” according to the
Playboy article.
His next engagement ended almost as
abruptly in Waco, Texas, when the Englishwoman who had hired him, ran off with a
lion tamer who shared the bill.
“He then found a job cleaning actor’s
wigs, which he describes as a `hair-raising
experience.’”
His mother decide to take matters into
her own hands and organized an act called
the `Three Nightingales,’ which featured
him, his brother Harpo -- who couldn’t
sing at all, and a girl who sang off-key.
They became the `Four Nightingales’
when brother Chico, who had lost his job
as a lifeguard (he had to be saved from
drowning by another guard).
His brother Gummo, eventually replaced the musically-challenged girl, and
they became the `Four Marx Brothers.
Gummo was later replaced by Zeppo, a
younger brother.

The Four Marx Brothers knocked
around vaudeville for years, finally hitting
it big on Broadway in the two -year run of
“I’ll Say She Is.” Other successes followed
with “Cocoanuts,” and “Animal Crackers.”
Translated from Broadway to film, these
and other monster smashes secured the
Four Marx Brothers commercial success.
Groucho created his own solo success in radio programs like “You Bet Your
Life,” which lasted until 1963, and with his
brother Chico, playing the comic lawyers
of `Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel.’
“You can just imagine those naughty
eyebrows waggling as he warbles, “She has
eyes that men adore so / And a torso / Even
more so,’ followed more double entendres
than you can shake a stick at, if that’s your
idea of a good time,” notes Ron Weskind, in
his book “Groucho.”
Julius Henry (Groucho) Marx died Aug.
19, 1977, in Los Angeles, of pneumonia, at
the age of 86.

Change seats for a new view
There is a scene in nearly every version of
Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Days,”
including the book, where Phileas Fogg
walks into the Reform Club, sits down at his
usual table and orders the dishes he always
orders. Fogg, of course, is a caricature but he
also illustrates something almost all humans
share; we are creatures of habit and more
than a bit territorial. You can test yourself on
this. When you enter a favorite bar or restaurant, do you always try to sit in the same
place? If they save you a seat and shout your
name when you enter, you’ve probably been
there a few too many times.
However, the point is that you probably
not only want to sit in the same place but
you also get upset if someone “steals your
seat.”
The same is true of attending religious
services, sitting in classrooms, parking your
car and many of the other things we do regularly. When I was in college, about a month
after classes started, the sociology professor
asked the class how many of us were sitting
in the same seats we sat in the first day of
class. About 80 percent of us raised our
hands.
Think back to high school. Were you one
of those kids who always sat in the front row?
As you might have already guessed, I was. I
still sit in the front row at most of the meetings I cover. Of course, I do have the excuse
of needing to be able to hear and see the
meeting well.
In high school I can think of four good
reasons why I sat in the front row.
I was almost always the shortest kid in

the class; sitting in the front row made sense
from a visual perspective.
In many of my classes, the front row was
the best place to sit when you want teachers
to see how smart you are (I’m afraid I was
one of THOSE kids.) In other classes, the
front row was the best place to be ignored
by teachers who needed to focus on the cutups, rowdies and class clowns who sat in the
back. I got a lot of extraneous reading, drawing and generally not listening done that way
but I might didn’t make many friends.
The front row made for a quick get-away
when the passing bell rang. Of course,
religious services are an entirely different
matter. For the most part, no one wants to
sit in the front. Most of us don’t want to be
like the Pharisees, condemned by Jesus for
always taking the prominent places in the
Synagogue. While we tend to be creatures
of habit, there is something to be said about
getting out of the same-seat rut. When Fogg
changed his habits he saw the world, won
the bet and got the girl.
The lessons here are move your feet,
change your seat and get a new perspective.

Pikes Peak sees early attempts at flight
Back in 1897 there were many attempts to
fly, here and all over the world.
With our high hills and breezes it was
bound to happen; a fellow came to this area
to try his wings. He had a set of wings, tail
and fins to wear. Now this was not an early
airplane, it was a “Flying Costume.”
In August the weather is fine; maybe some
wind. He took his gear to the top of Pikes
Peak, I assume on the train. Looking around
he attracted a bit of a crowd. I can imagine
so! He jumped from the roof of the summit
house! He was surprised when he crashed to
the ground, only 10 or so feet below. He was
not done. He set out in search of a “better”
place. The next day he was seen all over Manitou looking for just the right spot.
There were reports of him up in Ute Pass,
Garden of the Gods and Colorado City. The
man’s name was Felts and he was getting to be
well-known for his idea. He was even willing
to make bets on how far he could fly. A few
days later the remains of his gear was found
in Engleman Canyon but there was no sign of
him. Within a week, he still hadn’t been seen
but his gear was still being tried! Some hardy
lads at the cog railway had recovered his gear
from the canyon and started making repairs.
A few changes were made as ideas about
improvements were suggested. One of the
crew took the gear to the hill off Ruxton Avenue below the cog station near the Midland
trestle and jumped. He landed in a pile,
severely jolted. He stated that doing it with an
umbrella would have gone as well. Another of
the crew went up and readjusted the gear. He

went higher up the hill, thinking this would
provide more time to get a cushion of air built
up. Indeed, it too was a disaster. Instead of
giving it a cushion, it flipped over, tumbling
him down the hillside.
When he finally stopped, the gear was now
destroyed and the man was badly bruised
and battered. It was fortunate that none of his
bones were as badly bashed as the wings! After that, they gave up on the whole idea. Little
bits of the rig were to be found but there were
no attempts to repair it and try again. The
man Felts was not seen in the area after that.
It was said that stories of the two cog boys’
attempts were told in the shops and brought
laughs for many years. I must agree. I have
seen attempts to hang glide off the summit
but with the extreme down-drafts up there,
you would be lucky to just land hard.
Mel McFarland, artist, author, retired teacher
and railroader, is a Colorado Springs native
who has a strong interest in the events of this
area’s past.

4-COLOR

4 The Tribune

January 2, 2013

END OF THE
WORLD, NOT

A wind damaged roof is a
homeowner’s nightmare:

Call A-1 Roofing today!

667-1011

According to some reports, Dec.
21 was not supposed to be a
good day but this outpost on
the edge of the Tri-Lakes area
showed no ill effects the following morning of Dec. 22.
Photo by Rob Carrigan

Taking seriously the award of Most Promising Middle
School Thespian, Aaron captured the hearts of audiences
at CSS his freshmen year and was applauded as the Rookie
Actor of the Year. Theatre is not all Aaron takes seriously;
he is also a serious scholar! Hanging out on the High
Honor Roll is seriously cool. Aaron rides the CSS bus from
Monument in order to get his academic day started. He
appreciates his teachers’ mentorship, especially Dr.
Young, his advisor, who teaches math and
economics. Aaron enrolled in Dr. Young’s
Experience Centered Seminar, a threeweek academic term, in which he studied
marine biology off the Florida coast last
spring and earned his certification in
SCUBA. As a CSS Ambassador,
Greeter, and class treasurer,
Aaron is finding many ways
to lead confidently and
make a difference in our
community and the world.

To advertise your place of worship in this section, call 303-566-4091 or email kearhart@ourcoloradonews.com

Tri-LakesLIFE
5-LIFE-COLOR

The Tribune 5
January 2, 2012

Novel set in
Husted tells
a hard story
By Norma Engelberg

nengelberg@ourcoloradonews.com

Western Museum of Mining & Industry Programs Manager Brad Poulson shows budding young miners how to pan for gold. Gold mining in the West typically starts out with panning in creeks and streams before moving into the hardrock mines. Photos by Norma Engelberg

Left, Western Museum of Mining & Industry Programs Manager Brad
Poulson shows children how steam engines were used to power mining
tools during the late 1800s. This is a 10 horse power engine that would
have powered a small mining operation. Right, Western Museum of Mining & Industry Programs Manager Brad Poulson sells mines, also known
as chocolate chip cookies, and tools, the paperclips and toothpicks the
children will use to mine the chips out of the cookies. Cookie Mining is
often used by museum staff to teach visitors, especially children, the basics
of the mining business.

Making a business of mining cookies
By Norma Engelberg

nengelberg@ourcoloradonews.com
Western Museum of Mining & Industry
teaches more than 6,000 children each year
the basics of mining in the Western United
States.
One way the museum does that is
through mining the chocolate chips out of
cookies.
On Dec. 27, Brad Poulson, the museum’s
program coordinator, led children and the
adults in their lives on a tour of the museum
to give them a feel for the business of mining.
Then he showed them how to create their
own mining business. Each mining team
created a name for their mine, selected a
president, an accountant; miners, mostly
children who remove chips with toothpicks
or paperclips; and a reclamation specialist,
who puts the cookie back together after the
chips have been removed.
The mine (cookie) and the tools were
bought with a limited number of “Mining
Dollars” and chips were bought back from
the mine.
The object of the exercise is to make
good mining investments up front and earn
a profit in the end.

The Mauch family from Nebraska and the cousins the Neppl family from Colorado Springs learn about the business of
mining using cookies at the Western Museum of Mining & Industry Cookie Mining event on Dec. 27. The museum uses
cookie mining and other programs to teach more than 6,000 children the basics of mining each year.

John Dwaine McKenna’s newest novel
starts out with understatement. In the words
of 15-year-old Jamey McGoran, “The WhimWham man’s story ain’t easy to tell.” It wasn’t
easy to write, either. As the author says on
the book’s back cover, “There’s no sanitary
way to write about murder.”
“Sometimes I only wrote a paragraph a
day,” he said. “It took me weeks to write the
murder scene.”
In fact, in its short 136 pages the book
packs a lot of punched both literally and
figuratively. This coming-of-age/murder
mystery is a fast read but the reading is almost as hard as the telling. Set in 1940 in the
small town of Husted on what is now on the
U.S. Air Force Academy, “The Whim-Wham
Man” starts out with a glimpse at life toward
the end of the Great Depression when times
were still tough but the economy was starting to mend. It wasn’t mending fast enough
for young McGoran, his sister Catherine, his
proud and independent mother and his father, a man who thinks with his fists because
his brain is usually pickled with drink.
The book is written from Jamey McGoran’s point of view and he does “impending
doom” really well. The reader can feel something coming from that very first sentence
but, when disaster finally hits, it’s still a surprise.
McKenna, who lives in Colorado Springs,
gives the reader a feel for that bygone age and
when McGoran drives the family’s old Model
T from Husted to the Springs, he describes
places readers can still see on South Tejon,
Nevada Avenue and Sierra Madre Street. The
book is well researched and seeing the area
through McGoran’s eyes brings it back to life.
This is not a book for everyone but mystery lovers will appreciate the spare and concise narrative; there’re no wasted words and
every scene leads directly to the conclusion.
The book is written as the first in a detective series as the lead character grows up to
become a Colorado Springs detective with a
mission. McKenna based his idea for the story on a short paragraph he read in a newspaper in 2011 about then Gov. Ritter pardoning
Joe Arridy, a simple-minded man who was
falsely executed for murder in 1939. Arridy is
the basis for the “Whim-Wham Man” character but the similarities between the book
and the history end there.
“The Whim-Wham Man” is published by
Rhyolite Press and can be purchased online
at www.rhyolitepress.com. McKenna’s first
book, “The Neversink Chronicles,” is a Colorado Independent Publishers Association
EVVY award winner.

Local writer John Dwaine McKenna sets his new short
novel in the small town of Husted, which disappeared
into history several decades ago. Courtesy photo

6 The Tribune
January 2, 2013

Tri-LakesSPORTS
6-SPORTS

Home for Christmas
Josh Scott enjoys
the Buffalo break
By By Danny Summers

sports@ourcoloradonews.com
MONUMENT - Josh Scott was home for Christmas last
week. The Lewis-Palmer High School alumnus visited with
family and friends, and even found time to do some shopping.
It was a welcome break for the 6-foot-10 University of
Colorado power forward. He’s had very few down moments
the last few months since joining the Buffaloes and earning
a starting spot.
“I love it up there,” Scott said of Boulder. “It’s been good.
It’s been fun.
“Basketball has been an awesome experience for me. I
get to play with people I watched on TV.”
Scott is wasting no time establishing himself as one of
the best freshmen in the nation. He has started all 11 games
for the Buffs, averaging 12.5 points per games (third on the
team) and 5.5 rebounds (second). He leads the team in free
throw percentage (76 percent) and is second in blocks (9
total).
“One of my goals was to start,” said Scott, who was the
Colorado Gatorade Player of the year in 2012 as a senior for
Lewis-Palmer. “I knew I would be a contender if I did what
I was supposed to do.”
Scott wasn’t even a full-time student at Colorado when
he accompanied the team on a goodwill trip to Europe last
June. He averaged 17.4 points and 7.0 rebounds during the
five-game swing. He quickly learned that the college game
was quite a bit different than his days as a prep star.

“Everyone is a good player,” said Scott, who averaged
28.5 points as a senior at Lewis-Palmer. “It’s been an adjustment, but not too hard of an adjustment.”
Scott’s impressive start to his college career is no surprise to Buffs coach Tad Boyle.
“Josh is everything we thought he would be and maybe
a little bit more,” Boyle said. “He has a knack for scoring
down low and he’s aggressive, which lends itself to basketball at this level. He rebounded the ball well, too.
“I was encouraged with how he chased down some rebounds, and that he gets to the line because he’s a good foul
shooter.”
Of Scott’s 35 rebounds over the five games in Europe, 27
came on the offensive end.
Scott has been a consistent force for the Buffs. He’s led
the team in scoring three times, including 19 against Kansas in a blowout loss. He also had two steals that game to tie
for the team lead.
Colorado is 9-2. The Buffs played a non-conference
game against Hartford on Dec. 29, but results were not
available at press time. Colorado opens its Pac-12 schedule
Jan. 3 at Arizona.
The Buffs were ranked as high No. 19 in the nation for
two weeks, until their losses to Wyoming and Kansas.
“It’s fun being a freshman and going through the college
experience,” Scott said.
Scott found time to attend two Lewis-Palmer games before the Christmas break. But the Rangers lost both, ending
their string of 34 consecutive victories dating to the second
game of the 2011-2012 season when Scott led the team to
the Class 4A state title.
“I’m a little bit of a bad omen at the moment,” Scott said
with a smile.
Among Scott’s goals this season is to play in the NCAA
tournament.
“If we keep playing well, we’ll get there,” he said.

It was a welcome break for Lewis-Palmer High School alumnus Josh Scott,
the 6-foot-10 University of Colorado power forward. Courtesy photo
Scott’s next games in Colorado will be Jan. 10 and 12
against USC and UCLA, respectively, at the Coors Events
Center in Boulder.
Get your tickets now. The way Scott’s playing, he may
not be playing in Boulder long.

Palmer Ridge’s Mayer bleeds blue and gold
Monument coach has coached
at school for five years

‘I work for a great administration
and I have a great group of kids.’

By Danny Summers

Coach Nick Mayer

sports@ourcoloradonews.com
MONUMENT-There was a time when Nick Mayer bled
the orange and black of Lewis-Palmer High School. But if
you cut him these days you’ll see navy blue and gold seeping from his veins.
“I’m 100 percent into our program,” Mayer said. “I work
for a great administration and I have a great group of kids.”
Mayer is the only head boys basketball coach Palmer
Ridge has ever known. He started when the school opened
in 2008 and has directed the Bears to three consecutive
state tournament appearances.
Mayer’s Monument roots run deep. He went through 13
years of school in District 38, graduating from Lewis-Palmer in 1997.
“Monument has always been home for me,” Mayer said.
“I was very happy when I finally got back here.”
A two-year varsity player for the Rangers, Mayer attended college at Colorado State University, where he was
a walk-on for one season. He played sparingly, however mostly in garbage time.
“I was a good enough shooter for that level, but athletically I wasn’t good enough to compete at that level,” Mayer
said. “I knew I wanted to coach so I became an undergrad
assistant.”
Mayer took a somewhat complicated route back to his
hometown. After four years as an assistant coach at CSU,
he moved to Colorado College, where he worked as an assistant for five years under Mike McCubbin.
From there, Mayer went over to Pine Creek and worked
as an assistant under Dick Castle. Finally, he made his way
back to Monument and Palmer Ridge in 2008.
“It was good to get back here,” Mayer said. “I kept in contact with a lot of people.”
Mayer is not the only Bears coach with Lewis-Palmer
roots. His top two assistants, Seth Fritz and Dwight Wahlborg, grew up playing and coaching basketball in the town.
Fritz is a 1998 graduate of the Lewis-Palmer and former
player in the Rangers’ program. He was a teammate of May-

Palmer Ridge head basketball coach Nick Mayor speaks with sophomore
forward Matt Cameron during a recent game. Mayor started coaching at
Palmer Ridge High School in 2008, the year the school opened. Photo by
Danny Summers
er’s and joined the Palmer Ridge coaching staff two years
ago.
Wahlborg coached both Mayer and Fritz when they were
in middle school and high school. He has been on Mayer’s
staff since Day 1.

“I didn’t think twice about coming over to join Nick,”
said Wahlborg, who has been a coach in District 38 for almost 40 years. “It’s a different perspective.”
Wahlborg headed the district’s middle school program
from 1974 through 2007. He worked at the high school
some, as well.
“Some of the things Nick’s doing now I see that I did
then,” Wahlborg said. “Maybe he picked up some of what
I was teaching.”
The Bears are off to a 4-3 start, 0-1 in the Class 4A Pikes
Peak Athletic Conference. Their most successful season was
2009-2010 when they posted a 16-9 overall record, including a victory over Frederick in the first round of the 4A state
playoffs. They lost to Lewis-Palmer in the second round.
The Bears have never defeated Lewis-Palmer, losing four
games. Lewis-Palmer head coach Russ McKinstry is in his
second stint with the school. He coached the Rangers in the
early 1990s, but never worked with Wahlbrog, nor did he
coach Mayer or Fritz in high school.
“Nick used to be in my youth camps,” McKinstry said.
“He was an outstanding young player. He’s a wonderful
young man and an outstanding coach.”
Neither Mayer nor McKinstry will concede that they approach things any differently when the schools play each
other.
“I know it’s big for our players, but every game is huge
for us,” Mayer said. “Lewis-Palmer is no more important
than anyone else.
“If anything, we probably have to find a way to get some
wins against them to get that rivalry more competitive.”
Added McKinstry: “Every game is an equal challenge to
us. Our routine stays the same. Our preparation stays the
same whether it’s D’Evelyn, Broomfield or Palmer Ridge.”
The two schools next meet Jan. 11 at Lewis-Palmer. They
play for a second time Feb. 1 at Palmer Ridge.

THE IRV & JOE SHOW
M–F 1p–3p

LISTEN ONLINE
www.milehighsports.com

Irv Brown and Joe Williams are the longest-running sports talk tandem in the history of
Denver radio. For more than 28 years, Irv Brown and Joe Williams have teamed to bring
sports talk to fans in Denver. That tradition continues on Mile High Sports Radio.

7

January 2, 2013

The Tribune 7

Tips for protecting pets from coyotes
Special to The Tribune

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Most people think of coyotes as woodland and prairie creatures but more and more of them are being spotted in cities where their favorite prey are pets.
Courtesy photo by Leigh Gillette

Protecting Pets and Children

Keep pets in fenced areas
or kennels; remember split
rail fences and invisible
fences will not keep your
pet safe from predators. Pet
kennels and runs should
have a fully-enclosed roof.
Provide human supervision while outdoors, even
in your own backyard.
Do not allow pets (or
children) to run loose in
areas where there is coyote
activity.

Coyote Encounters

Rural coyotes are wary of
humans and avoid people
whenever possible. Urban
coyotes seem to be more
comfortable around humans.
Overtly aggressive behavior toward people is not
normal and should be reported.
Never feed or attempt to
“tame” a coyote.
Do not turn your back or
run from a coyote.
If approached or followed by a coyote, make
loud noises, yell and make
yourself look big.
If the coyote approaches
to an uncomfortably close
distance, throw rocks or

p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of every month at Bella
Panini in Palmer Lake.

TRI-LAKES BUSINESS Networking International meets from
8-9:30 a.m. every Wednesday at the Mozaic Inn in Palmer Lake.
Call Elizabeth Bryson at 719-481-0600 or e-mail ebryson@
farmersagent.com.
TRI-LAKES CHAMBER Business After Hours meets at 5:30

p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at various locations.
Free to members; $10 for non-members. Call 719 481-3282 or
go to www.trilakeschamber.com.

TRI-LAKES CHAMBER Business Networking Group meets

at 7:30 a.m. the first and third Thursday at Willow Tree Cafe,
140 2nd St., Monument. New members welcome. If District
38 is delayed or cancelled, their will be no meeting. Yearly
membership dues are $20. Call 719 481-3282 or go to www.
trilakeschamber.com.

TRI-LAKES NETWORKING Team meets for dinner at 6:30
p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at the Inn at Palmer
Divide. TNT is business women building relationships in a social
setting. Visit www.trilakesnetworkingteam.com or call Janine
Robertson at 719-266-0246 or e-mail janine@coloradorobertsons.com.
WOODMOOR BUSINESS Group Meeting is the second

Monday of every month from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Woodmoor
Barn, 1691 Woodmoor Dr. We are Woodmoor residents offering
products and services to the community. New members welcome. For more information, call Bobbi Doyle at 719-331-3003
or go to www.woodmoorbusinessgroup.com.

ourcolorado

CLASSIFIEDS
TO ADVERTISE, CALL 303-566-4100

Fire Radio Association), meets the third Monday of each month
at 6:30 p.m. at the Tri-Lakes Monutemnt Fire Protection District
Station 1, 18650 Hwy 105. All Amateur Radio Operators are
welcome. Call Joyce Witte at 488-0859 for more information.

ADULT RECREATIONAL and intermediate pick up volleyball
is at Lewis-Palmer Middle School every Monday from 7-9 p.m.
Call Claudia at 719-313-6662 for details.

Frighten coyotes with
loud noises; use unnatural
odors (such as ammonia) to
clean trashcans.
Yell and throw things
at coyotes whenever you
see them near your home.
Cleanup food attractants
such as dog food, garbage
and spilled seed beneath
birdfeeders.
Use yard lights with motion detectors; appearance
of the sudden light may
frighten coyotes away.

other objects.
Report coyote problems

Service Directory

Discouraging coyotes near
homes

Keep pets on leash or
leave the area when you see
a coyote. Most urban areas have leash laws requiring dogs to be under control. Coyotes and foxes are
thought to be responsible
for many cat disappearances in residential neighborhoods.
Although rare, coyotes
could potentially to injure
people. Teach your family not to approach wildlife
and never feed wildlife.
Treat the presence of a
coyote as an unfamiliar and
potentially threatening dog.

Announcements

people should still take precautions.
Report encounters with
aggressive coyotes in the
Pikes Peak Region to Colorado Parks and Wildlife at
719-227-5200.

Careers

Colorado Parks and
Wildlife reminds people to
take precautions to protect
pets from wildlife. In the
past few weeks, coyotes attacked two small dogs in
the Colorado Springs area.
In one case, the dog died.
The other dog survived, but
its owner incurred several
hundred dollars in veterinarian bills.
Colorado Parks and
Wildlife warns that coyotes are wild predators that
should be treated with caution but there are measures
people can take to decrease
the odds of an attack.
The coyote (Canis latrans) is a member of the
dog family. It resembles a
small German shepherd
with the exception of the
long snout and bushy,
black-tipped tail. Coyotes
are extremely adaptable
and resourceful, and can
survive on whatever food is
available. They prey on rabbits, mice, birds and other
small animals, as well as
deer and occasionally bighorn sheep.
d 12
In urban areas, coyotes
vents
are known to attack small
cats and dogs, particularly
may
pets allowed to roam free or
left out overnight. A typical
coyote weighs between 20
and 50 lbs., and can easily
outmatch a smaller pet.
“Coyotes are adaptable
predators found in most
open habitats, including
city neighborhoods, open
space, parks and trails,” said
District Wildlife Manager,
Aaron Flohrs. “They are
tolerant of human activities, and adapt and adjust
rapidly to changes in their
environment.”
He said that coyotes require more calories during
cold weather and can be
seen actively hunting during daylight hours at this
time of year.
People with pets should
keep them on a leash when
walking. While at home,
do not allow pets to roam
freely. Even pets in enclosed
yards run the risk of predation. People should feed
their pets inside in an effort
to keep pet food from attracting coyotes and other
wildlife.
Remind children not to
approach or feed any wildlife. While attacks on humans are extremely rare,

academyfordentalassistingcareers
.com

Misc. Private Legals
Public Notice
DISTRICT COURT, EL PASO
COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO
Court Address: 270 South Tejon
Colorado Springs, CO 80901
Court Phone: 7194487700
PLAINTIFF: HIGH FOREST RANCH
HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION
v.
DEFENDANTS: ABERDEEN INVESTMENTS, INC.; TODD PROPERTIES,
INC.; RICHARD A.M. TODD; and
THOMAS S. MOWLE AS THE PUBLIC
TRUSTEE OF EL PASO COUNTY, COLORADO
Attorney: Brianna L. Schaefer
Firm: HindmanSanchez P.C.
Address: 5610 Ward Road, Suite 300
Arvada, Colorado 80002-1310
Phone Number: 303.432.8999
Fax Number: 303.432.0999
E-mail: bschaefer@hindmansanchez.com
Atty. Reg. No.: 34078
Our File No.: 3243.006
Case No.: 2012CV4023
Div: 3
SUMMONS
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS:
You are hereby summoned and required
to appear and defend against the claims
of Plaintiff, as set forth in the Complaint
filed with the Court in this action, by filing
with the Clerk of this Court an Answer or
other response. You are required to file
your Answer or other response within
twenty-one (21) days after service upon
you if within the State of Colorado, or within thirty-five (35) days after service upon
you if outside the State of Colorado or if
served by publication pursuant to
C.R.C.P. 4(g). If served by publication,
service shall be complete on the day of
the last publication. A copy of the Complaint may be obtained from the Clerk of
the Court.
If you fail to file your Answer or other response to the Complaint in writing within
the time required, judgment by default
may be rendered against you by the Court
for the relief demanded in the Complaint
without further notice.
This is an action affecting the real property described in the Complaint and is a
proceeding in rem as well as a proceeding in personam.

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